About This Event

Join Ashram president, Swami Lalitananda, for four days designed to help you approach the sacred within and to recognize that all life is sacred. Meet with others to expand awareness through spiritual practice, reflection, dialogue and action.

Includes shared accommodation, three meals daily, morning hatha, retreat/workshop, and evening satsang. After the program ends, stay overnight and have breakfast the next day at no extra cost.

Event Highlights

This retreat balances personal time with spiritual practice and community activities and is designed to help you go in-depth, giving you space to reconnect to an inner source of peace and wisdom.

Daily yoga classes, short workshops and Karma Yoga are included in your retreat.

Meditation rooms are available for practice.

Nourishing food and stunning natural beauty complete the perfect retreat from the everyday.

Schedule

This retreat begins after dinner on the scheduled first evening and ends at five-thirty p.m. on the last scheduled day. You are welcome to stay overnight and have breakfast the next day at no extra cost.

Venue Highlights

Accommodations

Menu/Cuisine

Directions

About the
Venue and Teacher

Our purpose is to stimulate open intellectual and spiritual enquiry, supporting the potential of transformation in each person.Yasodhara Ashram is a yoga retreat and study center founded by Swami Sivananda Radha in 1963, in Kootenay Bay, British Columbia, Canada.Yasodhara Ashram is an enduring and vibrant spiritual community. Set in the beautiful mountains of southeastern British Columbia, we invite people of all ages and backgrounds to pursue their self-development and discover the promise of yoga.We offer a wide range of yoga programs year round – from a three-month intensive, to private retreats, teacher certifications and introductions to yoga. Our popular Service and Study programs are for those interested in learning about Karma Yoga, or the yoga of selfless service, our main spiritual practice.Yasodhara Ashram is also a residential community, with a small number of full-time residents, swamis and brahmacharis who make our homes here. We are the stewards of Swami Radha’s teachings and the caretakers of this sacred space. We are joined in our efforts by many long and short-term Karma Yogis, as well as teachers in training, course participants, guest teachers and retreat guests. We see over 1000 people pass through the Ashram in a year. The number of people living, working and studying at Yasodhara at any given time ranges from 50-120 people.Living with awareness in both the inner and outer worlds, Yasodhara Ashram is deeply committed to participating in sustainable environmental practices. From the Ashram’s perspective, environmental action is an important part of our social responsibility and ecological integrity, a practice of the basic yogic principle of ahimsa.With a lineage of leadership guided by women, our spiritual tradition emphasizes the nurturing and devotional qualities of the Divine Feminine. We are also home to the Temple of Divine Light, which recognizes the Light in all religions and the divine spark in each person. Our aim is to instill quality, care, awareness in all that we do, so that Yasodhara can truly be a spiritual home to all who come.Yasodhara Ashram is the hub of a network of urban teaching centers known as Yasodhara Yoga Centres and the home of Timeless Books. We are a Canadian charity and educational institution.Teachings:As custodians of a precious set of yogic teachings, our commitment is to ensure that you receive them with the same thoroughness and care that they were given to us. Swami Radha’s reflective, spiritual approach to yoga integrates body, mind and speech.By integrating yogic practices with personal development techniques, the yoga at Yasodhara encompasses the teachings of the East and translates them for our Western situation.The practices you learn at the Ashram will help guide you to your own inner wisdom. The spiritual goal of yoga is self-realization, exploring the question, “Who am I?” We support students in creating a personal learning experience, building a foundation for the inner work necessary on the path of yoga.Retreat:On retreat, you will find space for reflection, relaxation and spiritual renewal. Enjoy a quiet oasis of inspiration, far from the busyness of daily life.Choose the retreat that is just right for you. Our Guided Retreats offer both space and structure. Personal Retreats let you design your time in a way that suits your needs. And if you are an artist, professional or student our new Renewal Retreats may be what you are looking for. Group or Work Retreats give you access to the Ashram’s facilities while creating your own program.Courses:Yasodhara yoga courses have been designed to emphasize the yogic tradition of self-discovery through reflection on the spiritual in everyday life.Swami Radha believed that yoga is a path of liberation open to everyone. Her teachings, which are the basis of all of our courses, support students in building a foundation of character, courage and awareness – the inner work necessary on the path of yoga.Accommodation:The Ashram guest accommodations overlook the lake, mountains and forest. Rooms are designed for comfortable, shared accommodation, although single rooms may be available upon request for an additional fee.We have two primary guest lodges – The Barn and Saraswati Lodge – plus a number of other residences that house short and long-term residents, and dorm-style accommodations for young adults (seasonal).There are separate women and men’s residences.Families are welcome and will be accommodated together or in neighbouring rooms.We have a limited number of options available for the elderly or people with mobility issues. Please contact the office if you have special accommodations needs.Accommodation is included in your course, retreat or program fees.Meals:Nourishing meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner – are served in the dining room or on the deck overlooking the lake in the warmer months. Vegetarian, vegan and wheat free options are always available. Organic or naturally sourced fish and poultry are occasionally served for those who include them in their diets. Organic fruit and vegetables from our gardens and orchards are used as much as possible. We are committed to buying local and organic products and our menus are designed around what is available seasonally.All meals are in silence.We cannot accommodate all special dietary needs, although there is a fridge and cupboard space for guest use. An ingredient list is posted at each meal for those concerned with food sensitivities. Please call ahead to clarify your options. If you have severe allergies, it is essential to check with us prior to registering.As a guest, all meals are included in your fees.Amenities:Laundry - Laundry facilities are located in each of our residences. Karma Yoga Social Space - a space for reading, writing and doing crafts as well as accessing the internet. Library - The library holds copies of all books by Swami Radha and her disciples, as well as tapes and CDs, and many books by Swami Sivananda. In addition, it has an extensive collection specializing in spiritual thought and philosophy.Limited Internet - There is a small fee per one-time use or a there is a monthly fee. This includes internet searches and the occasional Skype call. Wifi access is available in the Karma Yoga Social Space and in the Library and there are two computers in the Library for guest use.Phone - there are pay phones for guest use, and long distance phone cards available at the bookstore. Mail - sent three times per week and received Monday-Friday via Canada Post. Gift Store - offers a collection of recommended titles from various spiritual traditions and disciplines. Prayer Rooms - there are a number of dedicated prayer rooms for your personal meditation or mantra practice. Beaches and Trails - it is a privilege to have our community in the natural beauty of the Kootenay region. We have beautiful waterfront with beaches and a crystal clear lake to swim in during the summer.

Swami Lalitananda has been a student of Swami Sivananda Radha since 1979 and served as her personal assistant and editor for eight years. She became a swami in 1996, and is the former president of the Friends of Radha Foundation, an associated charity that oversees Yasodhara Yoga initiatives outside of the Ashram.In 2014 Swami Lalitananda was appointed by Swami Radhananda and elected by the Society as the president of Yasodhara Ashram. She is committed to leading the Ashram into a vibrant and evolving future. Her leadership style is practical, approachable and intuitive.Swami Lalitananda brings an innovative spirit to yoga practice – she founded “Radha” a yoga studio, eatery and gallery in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver and was a columnist for the award-wining magazine, Ascent. She is also the author of two books, including The Inner Life of Asanas.

Thank you!

Why Retreat?

We asked people why they go on retreat, here's what they said:

Self growth.
Vicki

Retreat Guru's Vision

We believe human beings are innately wise, strong and kind. This wisdom, although not always experienced, is always present. Going on retreat is a beautiful way to reconnect to our basic sanity and health. Our aspiration at Retreat Guru is to inspire people to experience authentic retreats and reconnect with their innate wisdom, strength and kindness.